The present invention relates to a vehicle luggage carrier which can be readily attached to and disengaged from a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a vehicle luggage carrier which can be adaped for use with any type of vehicle for supplementing the vehicle's luggage-carrying capacity.
A number of supplemental storage containers for use with vehicles, for example, automobiles, are well known in the art. In some instances, luggage carriers are specifically designed for use with a particular make of vehicle and thus said luggage carriers cannot be utilized in connection with different makes of vehicles. Thus, if the owner of such a specific vehicle sells said vehicle and purchases either a new vehicle of the same manufacturer or a vehicle produced by a different manufacturer, it is necessary to purchase a completely new storage container which is designed specifically for the new vehicle.
In many other cases, the luggage carrier is very difficult to attach or remove from the vehicle and frequently the storage containers are very complicated, making their manufacture very expensive.
Furthermore, because of the energy crisis, and more particularly, the fuel shortage recently experienced in the United States, there has been a dramatic shift in ownership from the big American vehicle to the smaller economy-sized vehicle. This is dramatized by the substantial increase in sales of the smaller, more economical automobiles. To compete with this foreign market, the U.S. manufacturers are producing a large number of small, economy-type automobiles. However, it is readily recognized when a shift is made from the large-sized vehicle to the smaller-sized vehicle, there is a corresponding loss in the luggage-carrying capacity of the particular vehicle. Accordingly, it would be very desirable to provide a storage container to not only supplement the loss of luggage-carrying capacity, but also to provide one which can be readily secured to and detached from a vehicle, for example, an automobile, whether it be manufactured in the United States or abroad.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage container which can be readily attached to and disengaged from a vehicle, for example, an automobile.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved storage container which can be readily attached to and detached from any make and size of vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved storage container which is inexpensive and relatively simple in its construction while at the same time solving a serious problem experienced by vehicles requiring supplemental luggage-carrying capacity.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
Pursuant to the present invention, the above disadvantages have been eliminated and a much improved vehicle luggage carrier has been developed which can be readily attached to and disengaged from all types of vehicles, irrespective of size and manufacturer. According to the present invention, the vehicle luggage carrier comprises a storage container which is provided with hooks at the front end thereof for engaging the trunk lid of a vehicle in the area of the hinges, and in addition, lateral hooks are provided on both sides of the storage container for engaging the lateral sides of the trunk lid of the vehicle. For vehicles which do not contain trunks or wherein the trunks are not suitable for engagement with the hooks attached to the storage container, U-shaped brackets can be fixedly attached to the top of the vehicle and are adapted for engagement with the hooks which are attached to one end of the storage container. In this instance, the lateral hooks which extend from the side of the storage container can be secured to the weather stripping on both sides of the vehicle roof. Strap means are operatively associated with the lateral hooks for securing the storage container to either the trunk lid or to the top of the vehicle.